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If you're a character who uses light weapons -- in other words, higher Dex or Int -- you'll want to use a quick attack. If you use heavy weapons, you'll want to use a powerful attack.

They're both standard actions, but each one is more useful for a different type of character. If you have 18 Dex, hit with a quick attack: +8 vs AC, 1d4+5. If you have 18 Str, hit with a powerful attack: +7 vs AC, 1d8+5.

Riiight, so they're based on different stats - a "quick" attack is Dex modified, and a "powerful" attack is Str modified?

Having been poring over the (relatively small) manual all day, can I ask where this information actually is? I want to make sure I'm not missing anything else vital...

If you're a character who uses light weapons -- in other words, higher Dex or Int -- you'll want to use a quick attack. If you use heavy weapons, you'll want to use a powerful attack.

They're both standard actions, but each one is more useful for a different type of character. If you have 18 Dex, hit with a quick attack: +8 vs AC, 1d4+5. If you have 18 Str, hit with a powerful attack: +7 vs AC, 1d8+5.

Riiight, so they're based on different stats - a "quick" attack is Dex modified, and a "powerful" attack is Str modified?

Having been poring over the (relatively small) manual all day, can I ask where this information actually is? I want to make sure I'm not missing anything else vital...

Your unarmed attacks are standard actions just like other basic attacks. It's rare that they will be used however. Hoops for example may force a player to use their unarmed attacks. DM's discretion I would guess seeing as how holding anything can count as a weapon in GW.

A quick attack is Dex/Int modified (highest) and strong is Con/Str (highest).

If you're a character who uses light weapons -- in other words, higher Dex or Int -- you'll want to use a quick attack. If you use heavy weapons, you'll want to use a powerful attack.

They're both standard actions, but each one is more useful for a different type of character. If you have 18 Dex, hit with a quick attack: +8 vs AC, 1d4+5. If you have 18 Str, hit with a powerful attack: +7 vs AC, 1d8+5.

Riiight, so they're based on different stats - a "quick" attack is Dex modified, and a "powerful" attack is Str modified?

Having been poring over the (relatively small) manual all day, can I ask where this information actually is? I want to make sure I'm not missing anything else vital...

Your unarmed attacks are standard actions just like other basic attacks. It's rare that they will be used however. Hoops for example may force a player to use their unarmed attacks. DM's discretion I would guess seeing as how holding anything can count as a weapon in GW.

A quick attack is Dex/Int modified (highest) and strong is Con/Str (highest).

Ah! A combination of not thinking to look for Unarmed in a weapons table, and the usual Wizards problem of a terrible index. My bad - thanks for the help.

Sorry if this has been answered (though I did look pretty thoroughly).

I have a question about starting gear. On p75 of the Gamma World book it says:"At 1st level, you start with one explorer's kit (and everything in it). You also make 1d4 + 1 rolls on the Starting Gear table."As written, that sounds like it's saying everyone should do this, the character sheets echo this same instruction.

Is everyone supposed to make 1d4 + 1 rolls on that table, or is it 1d4 + 1 rolls for the group as a whole? My group rolledindividually, and in the end we had things such as 2 pickup trucks, 3 horses (1 riding/2 draft), 2 keelboats and so on. It just seemed somewhat strange to have so much.

Hello,I'm a long time lurker of this thread. The information contained here is mostly what led me to buy gamma world and run a gamma world campaign. Our first session is fast approaching, and if anyone is willing to answer a few questions, I'd really appreciate it. I realize there probably isn't going to be an official answer to most of these, but if you have some experience playing with these rules and know what works or doesn't work, I'd be grateful if you chimed in.

When the party finds ammo, how many units do they find? Enough for each player in the party, or only enough for everyone who regularly uses guns? Wouldn’t anyone be interested in getting their share of ammunition, even if they don’t use guns?

Would you allow a player who got ammo to give their ammo to another player who has used up his/her ammo? If only one player in the party used ammo, and there were 5 players, the other 4 could function as pack mules to carry ammo for the gunman.

Because ammo is such a valuable resource in the world, it seems reasonable that players might want to trade it for things they need, or use it as a bribe instead of firing it. Should I allow that? Maybe the ammo is the wrong caliber for players to trade it around? When they find some, each player digs around for shells that fit their particular gun, and that is what they take. That would imply that if they got a new gun, they would no longer have ammo, since it’s for their old gun. If they found multiple guns that are the same, they could argue that they should be allowed to trade ammo.

How does the ancient junk reward system work in practice? Does it add much? How hard do you make the players look for someone that both A. Has something they need. and B. Needs something the players happen to have randomly come across. I worry that it will be hard to maintain suspension of disbelief when someone in town has the exact thing the players are looking for and is willing to take the players' ancient toilet brush in exchange. I want rewards to actually be rewarding for players.

When a character dies, what level is their replacement character? The book makes it sound like it’s level 1, but if the rest of the party is level 8 that would be incredibly discouraging if I were the single level 1 player at the table. The potential for the party's average level to drop suddenly would also make it hard to plan encounters.

What about the dead character’s gear? Omega tech? Ammo? Is it still there? Does the new character get all of it?

How do you keep the different decks separated when they have the same backs? I’m thinking of ordering sleeves with different colored backs for my cards, but it still seems like a major headache to keep track of.

What about players keeping charged omega tech across multiple sessions? I don’t exactly want to keep track of what functional omega tech each player has from week to week, but I don’t want to let them hang on to my cards from week to week either. I suppose we could write down the cards and then dig them out of the decks during the next session.

How well does converting monsters from the D&D MM work? I worry that the randomly generated player stats and adding player level instead of half level will result in players that are too strong or not strong enough for the monsters.

2. Sure. If in combat I'd rule a minor action cost to pass it over though.

3. Gamma World essentially runs on a barter economy. The two rarest items that the larger world desires is both Omega Tech and ammo. Both make good standards of exchange and allows players to dump unwanted loot in exchange for more desirable items.

4. I find it does. Players enjoy searching after battles and I can add junk loot for searches. Players feel happy because they find weird stuff they get to basically argue how it can be used later on and as a DM it adds a loot dimension without overpowering the characters. I use http://critical-hits.com/ch-presents/gamma-world-junkulator/ - which is a much expanded junk list. I've found my players experiment a lot with the junk loot, it seems to add a good dimension to the game, and it's surprisingly easy to tie random items into story clues. For example, last encounter a character found an ear piece, placed it in ear to see what it could pick up, and I was able to add something relevant about the compound area they were in. Harmless and fun.

5. Level compatible with party.

6. Picking up gear is easy, depends how the character died I guess. Remeber the replacement isn't just a character that spontaneously creates, it's a character that has existed that the party then encounters. Such a 'living' character would have the same chances your party has had to get the level appropriate gear. Maybe just rule levelx2 omega tech.

8. Write on the character sheet what gear a person has. Or if you bring a laptop/pad just make notes.

9. Works fine for me so far. Set up 2-3 encounters where you run standard MM against your party and see how they fare. Should give you a decent idea how capable the party mix/player tactic preferences are. Don't be scared to arrange outs for your encounters if it looks like a wipe. Once you are comfortable working out the levels vs your party mix then swapping becomes a lot easier to manage.

The adventure should say (typically each player gets to top off... but sometimes it will be a single unit). If it's your own adventure, you get to make the call.

2) Would you allow a player who got ammo to give their ammo to another player who has used up his/her ammo?

Yes, this is allowed in Gamma World: "Other players can give you their ammo, but then they will be out of ammo."

3) Because ammo is such a valuable resource in the world, it seems reasonable that players might want to trade it for things they need, or use it as a bribe instead of firing it. Should I allow that?

Certainly, but then that player will be out of ammo. This sounds like excellent roleplaying.

4) That would imply that if they got a new gun, they would no longer have ammo, since it’s for their old gun. If they found multiple guns that are the same, they could argue that they should be allowed to trade ammo.

The ammo system is an abstraction that doesn't go into that granularity.

5) How does the ancient junk reward system work in practice?

If fun... not very useful, but fun.

How hard do you make the players look for someone that both A. Has something they need. and B. Needs something the players happen to have

It depends entirely on the circumstances, and is just part of roleplaying that the DM has to decide. I actually lean towards realistic probabilities myself. And bartering doesn't mean that the NPC has to need what the players have... merely recognize it as valuable (like say, Omega tech).

When a character dies, what level is their replacement character?

It should be the same level as the other PC's. Given the mortality in Gamma World, starting them at first would be cruel.

What about the dead character’s gear? Omega tech? Ammo? Is it still there? Does the new character get all of it?

That's your group's call. My players have a gentleman's agreement for the latter. I believe my players assume that if they kept all the dead PC's gear for themselves, then the new PC would arrive with no gear. They are probably correct.

How do you keep the different decks separated when they have the same backs? I’m thinking of ordering sleeves with different colored backs for my cards

That's what most posters here recommend. I personally just keep them in separate boxes.

I don’t want to let them hang on to my cards from week to week

I have my players wrap their cards up in their character sheet and leave it with me. There's not much reason for the players to take their character sheets home, and there's several good reasons not to.

How well does converting monsters from the D&D MM work?

Not too bad. Even though GW PC's get to add their level to rolls (rather than 1/2 level as in D&D), they also aren't expected to have lots of gear that boasts those rolls (like D&D PCs have). It comes out about the same.

I just stepped out from having DM'd the party through their first 5 levels and now I am playing a character that has Alien as one of it's origins.

In trying to understand the best way to use it's powers, I figured the following:

1. Alien Engineering is cumulative; I can spend a number of turns accumulating charges on a weapon to later release them all with the weapon's normal damage. (ex. each charge adds 14 radiation damage to a succesfull hit; I hit for 22 physical with a 2h heavy gun with 4 charges; total damage was 70; the normal attack bonus was +12, but +2x4 added on top of to make a final +20).

2. I used a few accumulated charges of Alien Engineering with a weapon attack made from some omega tech (Grav Mortar). The omega tech is an 'area x within y' type attack(s), so in order to not make the DM despair that I had broken the encounter, I assigned all the bonus damage and bonus attack to only the target at the center of the burst; the other two targets took no alien engineering damage.

Am I doing this right? How are others using Alien Engineering?

In the 'roleplayed' sense, it totally works for me that the Alien origin can enhance weapons, especially omegas (assuming they are weapons).

Building up charges might not even be the most effective form of DPS for my character but it's just so much fun to fire smalller amounts of shots that hit for big numbers (essentially a 95% chance to hit when charged a few times) Thoughts?

I just stepped out from having DM'd the party through their first 5 levels and now I am playing a character that has Alien as one of it's origins.

In trying to understand the best way to use it's powers, I figured the following:

1. Alien Engineering is cumulative; I can spend a number of turns accumulating charges on a weapon to later release them all with the weapon's normal damage. (ex. each charge adds 14 radiation damage to a succesfull hit; I hit for 22 physical with a 2h heavy gun with 4 charges; total damage was 70; the normal attack bonus was +12, but +2x4 added on top of to make a final +20).

2. I used a few accumulated charges of Alien Engineering with a weapon attack made from some omega tech (Grav Mortar). The omega tech is an 'area x within y' type attack(s), so in order to not make the DM despair that I had broken the encounter, I assigned all the bonus damage and bonus attack to only the target at the center of the burst; the other two targets took no alien engineering damage.

Am I doing this right? How are others using Alien Engineering?

In the 'roleplayed' sense, it totally works for me that the Alien origin can enhance weapons, especially omegas (assuming they are weapons).

Building up charges might not even be the most effective form of DPS for my character but it's just so much fun to fire smalller amounts of shots that hit for big numbers (essentially a 95% chance to hit when charged a few times) Thoughts?

I don't think that Alien Engineering was designed to work this way. the specific rules are ambiguous, but i think that the power becomes slightly too powerful. these are just my personal thoughts on this power, i dont know how the power was intended to work.

I just stepped out from having DM'd the party through their first 5 levels and now I am playing a character that has Alien as one of it's origins.

In trying to understand the best way to use it's powers, I figured the following:

1. Alien Engineering is cumulative; I can spend a number of turns accumulating charges on a weapon to later release them all with the weapon's normal damage. (ex. each charge adds 14 radiation damage to a succesfull hit; I hit for 22 physical with a 2h heavy gun with 4 charges; total damage was 70; the normal attack bonus was +12, but +2x4 added on top of to make a final +20).

2. I used a few accumulated charges of Alien Engineering with a weapon attack made from some omega tech (Grav Mortar). The omega tech is an 'area x within y' type attack(s), so in order to not make the DM despair that I had broken the encounter, I assigned all the bonus damage and bonus attack to only the target at the center of the burst; the other two targets took no alien engineering damage.

Am I doing this right? How are others using Alien Engineering?

In the 'roleplayed' sense, it totally works for me that the Alien origin can enhance weapons, especially omegas (assuming they are weapons).

Building up charges might not even be the most effective form of DPS for my character but it's just so much fun to fire smalller amounts of shots that hit for big numbers (essentially a 95% chance to hit when charged a few times) Thoughts?

Nope, you're not doing this correctly.

You expend your standard action for your turn (you receive 1 standard, 1 move, and 1 minor action each turn unless you have mutations or origins that grant you more) when you use Alien Engineering. You then choose yourself or an ally as the target of the power. The target must be within 1 square of you (melee 1) to be a target of the power.

The next weapon attack made by the target before the end of the encounter (NEXT attack) gets +2 to the attack roll. It also deals bonus damage to the tune of 5 + Intelligence mod + your level Radioactive damage.

Since it is an At-Will power it can be used a number of times equal to the number of Standard Actions you have for your turn. This is normally 1. The weapon that is used will hit for its normal damage (roll the die, etc.) and gain an additional bonus equal to the power's bonus damage.

It looks like the power is cumulative since it seems you can combine a minor and a standard action (if you happen to do a critical hit to apply AE as a minor action). But the problem is this: The recipient of the power will be delaying their turn for as many times as you wish to apply Alien Engineering. If the DM decides that the party's enemies will let you do this, then it is the DMs fault for not keeping this in check.

Personally, I would probably play the monsters so that they'd need perception checks to figure out what's going on. If the monsters are familiar with Alien Engineering's keywords or have the Alien origin, then I'd give them bonuses to notice what's going on and have them start attacking the "buffer".

Other than making this extremely broken, I would have to correct what I said above and say that what you did everything fine. I might hazard a guess that if WotC ever did real errata for Gamma World, that "until the end of the encounter" would change to "until the beginning of your next turn". The critical hit would override that and allow the second, additional use of the power as a minor until the end of your next turn for a grand total of 2x cumulation of the effects. Otherwise, the power is crazy overpowered.

Re-reading this, as a DM, I might allow accumulation of charges equal to the weapon's accuracy rating, so up to a +4 for standard weapons found in the main book. Another option is to just allow a weapon to have two charges of A.E. on it. But I think the weapon accuracy limitation would be the most fair without breaking the game too. This allows for cumulation of charges and most of the smaller weapons can benefit from a standard application of A.E. and a minor application as well.

1) Shieldbots (GW Core p. 127) are Level 1 Minion Brutes. Their at-will attacks do 9 electricity damage, that seems a bit high to me. I'm wondering if this was a typo and should have read as 4? I compared other Level 1 Minions' damage from other sources, and most seem to do 3-5 damage, or higher under certain circumstances. Then again shieldbots are classified as brutes and their attacks are only +4 vs. Ref (compared to +6-8 of most other Level 1 Minions), so I guess they might not hit as much. Still, 9 damage seems a bit high for level 1.

2) Something I've always wondered (GW/4th ed. in general): when you use a move action to stand up from prone, but you are adjacent/in threat range to an opponent(s), would the opponent(s) get an opportunity attack(s) against you? I'm guessing the answer is No since this situation is not addressed.

That's all for now, I'm pretty sure I came across something in Legion of Gold, but I'll post if/when I remember what it was.

1) Shieldbots (GW Core p. 127) are Level 1 Minion Brutes. Their at-will attacks do 9 electricity damage, that seems a bit high to me. I'm wondering if this was a typo and should have read as 4? I compared other Level 1 Minions' damage from other sources, and most seem to do 3-5 damage, or higher under certain circumstances. Then again shieldbots are classified as brutes and their attacks are only +4 vs. Ref (compared to +6-8 of most other Level 1 Minions), so I guess they might not hit as much. Still, 9 damage seems a bit high for level 1.

2) Something I've always wondered (GW/4th ed. in general): when you use a move action to stand up from prone, but you are adjacent/in threat range to an opponent(s), would the opponent(s) get an opportunity attack(s) against you? I'm guessing the answer is No since this situation is not addressed.

That's all for now, I'm pretty sure I came across something in Legion of Gold, but I'll post if/when I remember what it was.

For 1, I do not know. I usually thought it was 4 damage, but there are differences. You cannot compare GW monsters to D&D monsters, they're slightly different.

2: No opportunity attack. I would consider it a shift without leaving the square, so to speak. You'd normally expect someone who is getting up to be standing in a defensive posture. Anyway, since standing from prone eats all of your move for the turn (you can't get up and move without converting your standard action into a move action) that's how I'd read it.

rules wise, this works (though you might have to improvise if you want to use the cards). the only concern that I would have is that the Gamma World setting is inherently silly, so if you have an even vaguely serious campaign I would avoid travel between the two games. this said, i thing that the idea has potential for an intriguing one-shot, if not an ad venture in a campaign.

Ok cool. What I was thinking was to have a Wizard experimenting with nuclear materials and magic at the same time. Perhaps having the nuclear waste poison the water supply and have the player investigate. When they show up and fight the wizard the arcane barriers begin to collasp and cause a nuclear explosion. Instead of killing everyone it will react with the ambient magic items, wands, scroll etc... and transport them to Gamma World. I think it will be kinda cool, that way they can get mutations, guns and stuff. I'm more concerned with them having fun than balance, I can always change monsters and up there defences if needed.

I'm just starting to read over the rules so I might have a few questions as I go through them.

The Parn has two at-will melee attacks but one is a double attack. Can someone explain that? Why wouldnt the Parn just use the double attack all the time?

If you read on page 105 the attack type is indicated by the icon next to the name. You'll see that the Sword Antenna standard action has a sword (melee attack) with a circle (basic). So the Sword Antenna action is a Basic Melee attack. The Double Attack only has a sword which means it cannot be used as a Basic Melee attack. Incidentally, if you see a Bow with a circle, that means it's a Basic Ranged attack (see Horl Choo Stinger).

This is important when you consider that Opportunity Attacks (page 20) use the Basic Melee attack power (page 75). (Charging also uses a Basic Melee attack but it is not in the Gamma World rules, see the D&D Rules Compendium or the D&D 4e Player's Handbook for charging rules).

So, to answer your question: the Parn would use it's Double Attack during it's turn but during everyone else's turns, it would use the Sword Antenna attack if and only if it is granted an Opportunity Attack (such as when a player moves by the Parn in an adjacent square).

Due to me receiving a "cease and desist" order from Wizards of the Coast legal, the "Fire From the Sky" Gamma World module is no longer available in any way, shape or form. Please remove it from the list at the top of this post.

In addition, Wizards of the Coast recently clarified that Gamma World is *not* covered under the 4e GSL. And, as such, no Gamma World content from third party publishers is allowed.

WotC's legal department stated (slightly paraphrased)...

Under the GSL, only materials listed in the SRD (rules, tables, terms, and templates) are available for you to use after the Statement of Acceptance is accepted. Gamma World is not included in the materials offered in the SRD.

.../...

Under no circumstances may you use Gamma World as part of your module.

Ok another question-If characters can only go up to LvL 10 will they really be able to fight (and live) against creatures like the Klard nar eartheater which is a LvL 14 Elite Soldier?

Also do you think the Alpha and Omega will get more or less expensive as the game gets older? Sometimes I think the supply will go down and prices will go up but other times I think all these stores with cards will get stuck with them and want to sell them cheap

Ok another question-If characters can only go up to LvL 10 will they really be able to fight (and live) against creatures like the Klard nar eartheater which is a LvL 14 Elite Soldier?

If you take an average party of 5 level 10 adventurers, you can create an encounter with up to 5 level 10 monsters. You can easily use the experience quota from these to throw in a level 14 critter. You can also make the monster a minion which lowers it's xp cost for the encounter.

Also do you think the Alpha and Omega will get more or less expensive as the game gets older? Sometimes I think the supply will go down and prices will go up but other times I think all these stores with cards will get stuck with them and want to sell them cheap

Speculation on supply and demand of the cards is kind of moot to me ;) But you'll probably only get them from ebay after a while. Oh, well, this is what happens when a game is put out and essentially cancelled in such a short amount of time.

The Cockroach origin grants a climb speed, with a restriction that they cannot attack while climbing. The Arachnoid origin grants climb also, but with no limitations on attacking. Is the difference between these deliberate, or merely an oversight since they appear in different books? If it is, why? If not, should they both be allowed attacks, or should neither?

I'm considering allowing them both to attack at a -2 penalty while climbing, similar to the restriction on the Hawkoid's flight trait. Thoughts?

I think of it like this. Spiders have two more limbs then cockroaches. If a cockroach is using 4 limbs to cling to walls, while using the other two holding weapons, then a spider should be able to give itself extra support to cling to walls with it's 2 extra limbs, hence no penalty.

True, but the Cockroach origin has an at-will novice that doesn't even require limbs, so I'm not sure why climbing should interfere with their attacks. Not that the two origins have to have equivalent movement abilities, but it does seem a bit odd that Arachnoids should be able to attack with their at-will but Cockroaches cannot. I guess the 'roach can technically have a faster climb speed than the Arachnoid if their other origin gives them a speed bonus ('roaches climb at their speed while Arachnoids have a hard speed 6 climb), but I'm not sure that it's worth having two different climb abilities, especially since I plan on supplementing with the Rules Compendium and it would be nice to have things conform to the Climb description. I'm likely to house rule them to Spider Climb at speed, no attack penalty.

By the same token, I wonder about the reason behind penalizing the Hawkoid's attacks, when no other flying creature takes an attack penalty for in-flight combat. I'm probably going to remove that penalty, as it is pretty much the main focus of that origin.

It just seems odd that of the three origins that grant special movement, each seems to be built on different mechanics. I guess I'd rather have something as basic as movement remain consistent throughout the game, and leave the weird stuff to powers and strange traits.

Also, anyone find it odd that the Simian origin doesn't get to climb? I'm passing it off as them being a classic "Planet of the Apes" origin, but it still seems a little strange that nobody thought of that one. I guess the Athletics skill boost makes up for it without adding in an extra trait that isn't that necessary in the grand scheme of things.